Green synthesis,characterization and anti-cancer capability of Co0.5Ni0.5Nd0.02Fe1.98O4 nanocomposites

In this study, Co_0.5Ni_0.5Nd_0.02Fe_1.98O₄ nanoparticles CoNiNd (NPs) were synthesized by combustion method linked with biosynthesis with and without different plant extracts such as Lavender, Ginger, Flax-Seed, Lemon Juice, Tragacanth Gum, and Dates Fruit. Co_0.5Ni_0.5Nd_0.02Fe_1.98O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) with plant extracts (CoNiNd plant extracts) were analyzed by XRD, TEM and SEM methods. The structure of Co-Ni spinel ferrite was confirmed by XRD and the shape and the size of nanoparticles were examined via SEM and TEM and the size was found between 17 and 25 nm. The anti-cancer activity of NPs on cancer cells such as human colorectal carcinoma (HCT-116) and human cervical cells (Hela) were investigated. The cytotoxicity of was examined by MTT assay and followed by measuring the inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values after 48 h treatments. The cell viability assay confirmed a decrease in the cancer cell viability post NPs treatments and showed dose-dependent inhibitory action. The treatments of CoNiNd (NPs) and CoNiNd plant extracts via Lavender plant extract showed most profound inhibitory action on both cancer cells than extracts other plant extracts. The IC₅₀ values were for HCT-116 cells were found to be in range of 15.75–42.55 µg/mL and 13.44 to 35.65 µg/mL for HeLa cells. In contrast, the treatment of CoNiNd (NPs) and CoNiNd plant extracts showed inhibitory action but the percentage of inhibition was higher in HEK-293 cells. Our results showed that CoNiNd (NPs) and CoNiNd plant extracts possess potential application in the colon and cervical cancer treatments and we recommend molecular analysis of NPs mediated cancer cell death for future applications.     

Antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties of extracts from heterotrophic cultures of Galdieria sulphuraria

This study explores the possibility to use the extremophilic microalga Galdieria sulphuraria (strain 064) as a source of natural biomolecules with beneficial and protective effects on human health. Galdieria was cultivated in heterotrophy conditions and cells extracts for their antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties were tested. Galdieria extracts showed high antioxidant power tested through ABTS assay and revealed high glutathione and phycocyanin contents. Based on Annexin-V FITC/propidium iodide and MTT analysis, algae extracts inhibited the proliferation of human adenocarcinoma A549 cells (51.2% inhibition) through the induction of apoptosis without cell cycle arrest. Besides, cytotoxicity and cytometry assays showed a positive pro-apoptotic mechanism. On these bases, we suggest that G. sulphuraria from heterotrophic culture, for its therapeutic potential, could be considered a good candidate for further studies with the aim to isolate bioactive anti-cancer molecules.     

HPLC profiling of phenolics and flavonoids of Adonidia merrillii fruits and their antioxidant and cytotoxic properties

In this study the antioxidant and cytotoxicity activity of the Adonidia merrillii fruits were investigated using different solvent polarities (methanol, ethyl acetate and water). The results showed that the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the methanolic extract was higher compare with other extract with respective values of 17.80 ± 0.45 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight (DW) and 5.43 ± 0.33 mg rutin equivalents/g DW. Beside that The RP-HPLC analyses indicated the presence of gallic acid, pyrogallol, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, naringin and rutin. In the DPPH, NO2 and ABTS scavenging assays, the methanolic extract exhibited higher antioxidant activity as compared to the ethyl acetate and water extracts. The extracts exhibited moderate to weak cytotoxic activity in the assays using human hepatocytes (Chang liver cells) and NIH/3T3 (fibroblasts cell) cell lines. The findings showed the Adonidia merrillii fruit extracts to possess considerable antioxidant and cytotoxicity properties. The fruit, therefore, is a potential candidate for further work to discover antioxidant and cytotoxic drugs from natural sources.     

Mechanisms underlying the cytotoxic effect of propolis on human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma cells

Propolis has been used as a traditional remedy for centuries because of its beneficial effects, including anticancer properties. The aim of this study was to compare the cytotoxic mechanism of Cuban red propolis (CP) and Brazilian green propolis (BP) on human laryngeal carcinoma (HEp-2) cells. Cell viability, leakage of lactate dehydrogenase, fluorescence staining, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and the expression of pro/anti-apoptotic genes were assessed. Cell viability and cytotoxic assays suggested a dose-dependent effect of CP and BP extracts with a possible association of intracellular reactive oxygen species production and decreased ΔΨm. Both samples induced apoptosis via activation of TP53, CASP3, BAX, P21 signalling, and downregulation of BCL2 and BCL-XL. CP exerted a higher cytotoxic effect than BP extract. Our findings suggest further investigation of the main components of each propolis sample, what may lead to the development of strategies for the treatment of laryngeal cancer.     

Phenolics,Antioxidant Potentials,and Antimicrobial Activities of Six Wild Boletaceae Mushrooms

Since mushrooms are important sources of bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, their identification and quantification were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography resulting in total concentrations between 2.9161?±?0.0829?mg/kg (Boletus fechtneri) and 51.4480?±?1.0333?mg/kg (Boletus appendiculatus). The antioxidant properties of methanol extracts and corresponding hydrolysates were estimated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), total reducing power, ferric-reducing antioxidant power, cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content assays. The Xerocomus badius methanol extract showed the highest antioxidant potential, while among hydrolysates, the highest antioxidant potential was observed for Xerocomellus chrysenteron. The antimicrobial activities of methanol extracts of studied mushrooms against pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains were measured and the highest values were obtained for B. fechtneri and B. appendiculatus extracts against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Principal component analyses and agglomerative hierarchical clustering were used to display the correlation between the parameters and their relationships with the mushroom species.     

Polyphenolic Compounds of Crataegus Berry,Leaf, and Flower Extracts Affect Viability and Invasive Potential of Human Glioblastoma Cells

Crataegus contains numerous health-promoting compounds that are also proposed to have anti-cancer properties. Herein, we aimed at a contemporaneous evaluation of the effects of polyphenol-rich extracts of berries, leaves, and flowers of six Crataegus species on the viability and invasive potential on the highly aggressive human glioblastoma U87MG cell line. The treatment with the extracts evoked cytotoxic effects, with the strongest in the berry extracts. All extracts not only promoted the apoptosis-related cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) but also substantially inhibited the activity of pro-survival kinases, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and protein kinase B (PKB; also known as Akt), thus indicating the suppression of proliferative and invasive potentials of the examined glioblastoma cells. The qualitative and quantitative characterization of the extracts’ content was also performed and revealed that amongst 37 polyphenolic compounds identified in the examined Crataegus extracts, the majority (29) was detected in berries; the leaf and flower extracts, exerting milder cytotoxic effects, contained only 14 and 13 compounds, respectively. The highest polyphenol content was found in the berries of C. laevigata x rhipidophylla x monogyna, in which flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids predominated. Our results demonstrated that a high content of polyphenolic compounds correlated with the extract cytotoxicity, and especially berries were a valuable source of compounds with anti-cancer potential. This might be a promising option for the development of an effective therapeutic strategy against highly malignant glioblastomas in the future.     

Exploring the anticancer effects of tin oxide nanoparticles synthesized by pulsed laser ablation technique against breast cancer cell line through downregulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Tin oxide nanoparticles (SnO₂ NPs) demonstrate potential anti-cancer functions. However, the anti-cancer mechanisms of SnO₂ NPs have not been explored in detail. In the present study, we synthesized SnO₂ NPs through laser ablation technique and examined their anticancer mechanisms and the probable involvement of the PI3K/AKT mediated pathways in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) in vitro. The synthesized SnO₂ NPs were characterized by transmission electron microcopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. Afterwards, the breast cancer cells were incubated with increasing concentrations of SnO₂ NPs, and inhibition of cell proliferation was assessed by the viability assay. Furthermore, the quantification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis were examined by flow cytometry followed by superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity as well as mitochondrial membrane potential assays. The expression levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and Bax were also assessed by western blot and quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). It was shown that SnO₂ NPs, 30 nm, with potential colloidal stability selectively prevented the proliferation of MCF-7 in comparison with MCF-10A cells and triggered ROS production, apoptosis, deactivation of SOD and CAT activity, and mitigation of mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, SnO₂ NPs stimulated mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway by overexpression of Bax/Bcl-2 and downregulation of p-PI3K/p-AKT/p-mTOR signaling pathway. This data elucidates the possible mechanisms by which SnO₂ NPs may stimulate their anticancer effects.     

In vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of six international basil cultivars

The total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin contents in leaves extracts of Ocimum basilicum (OB) (Lamiaceae) international cultivars, as well as their overall antioxidant activities using DPPH and linoleic acid assays, were investigated. Furthermore, the antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities against line HeLa, MCF-7, Jurkat, HT-29, T24, MIAPaCa-2 cancer cells and one normal human cell line HEK-293 were examined. DPPH and linoleic acid assays ranged from 75.8% to 93.3% and from 74.5% to 97.1%; respectively. O. b. ‘purple ruffle’, O. b. ‘dark opale’, O. b. ‘genovese’, O. b. ‘anise’, O. b. ‘bush green’ and O. b. L. (OBL) varied in their antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities, influenced cell cycle progression and stimulated apoptosis in most cancer cells. OBL exhibited the highest antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. OB extracts not only improve taste but also have certain anticancer activity against diverse cancer cells due to the presence of compounds such as rosmarinic acid, chicoric acid and caftaric acid. Thus, OB represents a potent source of anticancer materials.     

Chemical Characteristics of Ethanol and Water Extracts of Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa L.) Acorns and Their Antibacterial,Anti-Fungal and Antitumor Properties

The aim of this study was to identify polyphenolic compounds contained in ethanol and water extracts of black alder (Alnus glutinosa L.) acorns and evaluate their anti-cancer and antimicrobial effects. The significant anti-cancer potential on the human skin epidermoid carcinoma cell line A431 and the human epithelial cell line A549 derived from lung carcinoma tissue was observed. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of alder acorns inhibited the growth of mainly Gram-positive microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus mutans) and yeast-like fungi (Candida albicans, Candida glabrata), as well as Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) strains. The identification of polyphenols was carried out using an ACQUITY UPLC-PDA-MS system. The extracts were composed of 29 compounds belonging to phenolic acids, flavonols, ellagitannins and ellagic acid derivatives. Ellagitannins were identified as the predominant phenolics in ethanol and aqueous extract (2171.90 and 1593.13 mg/100 g DM, respectively) The results may explain the use of A. glutinosa extracts in folk medicine.     

Anti-Cancer Activity and Phenolic Content of Extracts Derived from Cypriot Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) Pods Using Different Solvents

Extracts derived from the Ceratonia siliqua L. (carob) tree have been widely studied for their ability to prevent many diseases mainly due to the presence of polyphenolic compounds. In this study, we explored, for the first time, the anti-cancer properties of Cypriot carobs. We produced extracts from ripe and unripe whole carobs, pulp and seeds using solvents with different polarities. We measured the ability of the extracts to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in cancer and normal immortalized breast cells, using the MTT assay, cell cycle analysis and Western Blotting. The extracts’ total polyphenol content and anti-oxidant action was evaluated using the Folin–Ciocalteu method and the DPPH assay. Finally, we used LC-MS analysis to identify and quantify polyphenols in the most effective extracts. Our results demonstrate that the anti-proliferative capacity of carob extracts varied with the stage of carob maturity and the extraction solvent. The Diethyl-ether and Ethyl acetate extracts derived from the ripe whole fruit had high Myricetin content and also displayed specific activity against cancer cells. Their mechanism of action involved caspase-dependent and independent apoptosis. Our results indicate that extracts from Cypriot carobs may have potential uses in the development of nutritional supplements and pharmaceuticals.     

Green synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticle using Origanum majorana L. leaf extract,its characterization and biological activities

Cerium oxide nanoparticle (CeO-NP) was synthesized using Origanum majorana L. leaf extract and characterized using particle size analyzer, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The antioxidant properties and cytotoxic effects of CeO-NP in human breast carcinoma cells (MDA-MB-231 cell line) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) as normal cells were evaluated. To determine the probable molecular mechanism of action of CeO-NP on cellular redox and anti-inflammatory potential, the expressions of antioxidant-related genes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) in HUVEC cell line were also analyzed. The results indicated that spherically shaped nanoparticles with a size of 10–70 nm bound to functional phenolic and flavonoids from O. majorana L. leaf extract. The green synthesized CeO-NP showed antioxidant activity by free radical scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS free radicals. The antioxidant activity was significantly (p < 0.001) lower than that of Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) as a reference antioxidant. The obtained results elucidated that CeO-NP possessed cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic effects of CeO-NP were higher against MDA-MB-231 cancer cells compared to HUVEC normal cells. In addition, this NP was capable to enhance the expression of CAT and SOD as main antioxidant-related genes. Consequently, the higher cytotoxic effects of CeO-NP against breast cancer compared to normal cells indicated the potential use of this NP as anti-cancer agent. However, more research on its cytotoxicity against other cancer cells and mechanisms in which this NP exert its anti-cancer properties should be performed.     

Transition metal complexes of 6‐mercaptopurine: Characterization,Theoretical calculation,DNA‐Binding,molecular docking,and anticancer activity

6‐mercaptopurine (6‐MP) is used for treating various cancers and autoimmune disorders. A few examples of transition metal complexes of 6‐MP have been shown to enhance its anticancer activity, but many remain untested. We isolated five highly stable and colored metal complexes of 6‐MP and confirmed their structures by elemental analysis, spectral, and thermal techniques. Infrared (IR) spectra revealed that 6‐MP is a bidentate ligand that interacts through sulfur and pyrimidine nitrogen in a 1:2 (M:L) molar ratio. The magnetic susceptibility and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra for the Cu(II) complex revealed an octahedral arrangement around the metal ion with strong covalent bonding. The fully optimized geometries of the metal structures obtained using density function theory (DFT)/B3LYP calculations were used to verify the structural and biological features. DNA titration revealed that the octahedral Cu(II) complex has a critical binding constant value of K_b = 8 × 105. Docking studies using three different cancer protein receptors were used to predict the biological applications of the synthesized drug‐metal complexes. Finally, cytotoxicity assays against a myeloma cancer cell line (MM) and a colon cancer cell line (Caco‐2) revealed favorable anticancer activity for the copper complex, exceeding that of the gold‐standard chemotherapeutic cisplatin.     

Eco-friendly synthesis of ZnO nanorods using Cycas pschannae plant extract with excellent photocatalytic,antioxidant, and anticancer nanomedicine for lung cancer treatment

The tunable ZnO nanorods (NRs) are produced due to the phytochemicals present in Cycas pschannae leaves which act as reducing and stabilizing agents. The confirmations of the ZnO NRs were validated using different characterization techniques: X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy–Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX), UV–visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The ZnO NRs show unique surface area and low particle size. Photocatalytic activity was measured and found to be 50.75% at low concentrations and 78.33% at high concentrations. The antioxidant activity of the ZnO NRs also showed promising results for their use in free radical scavenging. In vitro toxicity studies using zebrafish embryos was performed to evaluate the toxic nature of it and the obtained result confirmed its non-toxic nature. In addition, ZnO anticancer potential was verified using the A549 lung cancer cell line. Cytotoxic assessments of ZnO NRs were performed via 2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT), 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), and neutral red uptake assays to examine the cell death cycle on the A549 lung cancer cell. Dose-dependent apoptosis and necrosis were confirmed by Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. It was also confirmed that ZnO NRs induce Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis inside cancer (A549) cells via different intrinsic gene expression. Thus, based on this research it is evident that an effective ecofriendly, nontoxic potential anticancer drug can be synthesized using C. pschannae leaf extract.     

Phytochemicals from Polyalthia Species: Potential and Implication on Anti-Oxidant,Anti-Inflammatory,Anti-Cancer,and Chemoprevention Activities

Polyalthia belong to the Annonaceae family and are a type of evergreen tree distributed across many tropical and subtropical regions. Polyalthia species have been used long term as indigenous medicine to treat certain diseases, including fever, diabetes, infection, digestive disease, etc. Recent studies have demonstrated that not only crude extracts but also the isolated pure compounds exhibit various pharmacological activities, such as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-tumor, anti-cancer, etc. It is known that the initiation of cancer usually takes several years and is related to unhealthy lifestyle, as well as dietary and environmental factors, such as stress, toxins and smoking. In fact, natural or synthetic substances have been used as cancer chemoprevention to delay, impede, or even stop cancer growing. This review is an attempt to collect current available phytochemicals from Polyalthia species, which exhibit anti-cancer potentials for chemoprevention purposes, providing directions for further research on the interesting agents and possible clinical applications.     

Phytochemical profiles,antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterasic activities of the leaf extracts of Rhamnus lycioides subsp. oleoides (L.) Jahand. & Maire in different solvents

In this work, the extracts obtained with different solvents from the leaves of Rhamnus lycioides subsp. oleoides (L.) Jahand. & Maire were studied for their phytochemical profile and then for their antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. The phytochemical profiles of the extracts in n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, anthraquinone rich and water, showed the presence of different compounds belonging to several classes of natural products such as flavonoids, anthraquinones, saccharides and fatty acids. For what concerns the biological tests, the ethyl acetate, methanol and anthraquinone rich extracts showed the highest activities in both assays due to the high amount of compounds possessing those properties such as flavonoids and anthraquinones. By consequence, these specific extracts of the species may be considered to be potential sources of natural antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterasic compounds.     

Phytochemical composition,antioxidant activity and HPLC profiles of Swertia species from Western Ghats

Swertia chirayita is one of the potential medicinal plants of the family Gentianaceae in traditional medicine. Due to its high demand and scarcity, trade of chirayita is affected by adulterants. Swertia species from Western Ghats were compared with S. chirayita for phytochemical characterisation and antioxidant activities by using different extracts. This study revealed that acetone is the best extraction solvent of phenolic and flavonoid compounds with antioxidant properties as compared with other extracts. S. chirayita showed better antioxidant activity than other species with highest content of phenolics and flavonoids. Among the species from Western Ghats, Swertia minor has better antioxidant properties with higher content of phenolics and flavonoids when compared with S. chirayita. Gallic acid was detected in all species under study by using HPLC analysis. The Swertia species under study showed similar phytochemical properties and antioxidant potential and hence their use as substitute to S. chirayita needs to be further investigated.     

Uncovering the anticancer mechanism of petroleum extracts of Farfarae Flos against Lewis lung cancer by metabolomics and network pharmacology analysis

Lung cancer shows the highest incidence rate in the world. Thus, it has become increasingly important to find therapeutic drugs to treat lung cancer. Farfarae Flos (FF) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat pulmonary diseases such as cough, bronchitis and asthmatic disorders. In this study, the anti-proliferation effects of petroleum extracts of FF (PEFF) on Lewis lung cancer cells and the corresponding mechanisms were studied using cell metabolomics. Fifteen differential metabolites in the cell extracts and the corresponding medium related to the anti-proliferation effect of PEFF were identified, which were probably involved in pyruvate metabolism and glycine, serine and threonine metabolism. For the cellular uptake compounds in PEFF, six metabolites derived from two prototype compounds were also tentatively identified by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap high-resolution MS. Network pharmacology analysis demonstrated that the anti-proliferation mechanism of PEFF was also probably related to the target genes, including, Aurora-A, glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1), glutathione S-transferase P 1 (GSTP1), progesterone receptor and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and further associated with the proteoglycans and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Cell metabolomics and network pharmacology analysis provided a holistic method to investigate the anti-proliferation mechanisms of PEFF. However, further studies were still needed to validate the potential target genes, pathways and active compounds in PEFF.     

Micropropagation of Rare Scutellaria havanensis Jacq. and Preliminary Studies on Antioxidant Capacity and Anti-Cancer Potential

We report the development of in vitro propagation protocols through an adventitious shoot induction pathway for a rare and medicinal Scutellaria havanensis. In vitro propagation studies using nodal explants showed MS medium supplemented with 10 µM 6-Benzylaminopurine induced the highest number of adventitious shoots in a time-dependent manner. A ten-day incubation was optimum for shoot bud induction as longer exposures resulted in hyperhydricity of the explants and shoots induced. We also report preliminary evidence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105-mediated gene transfer transiently expressing the green fluorescent protein in this species. Transformation studies exhibited amenability of various explant tissues, internode being the most receptive. As the plant has medicinal value, research was carried out to evaluate its potential antioxidant capacity and the efficacy of methanolic leaf extracts in curbing the viability of human colorectal cancer cell line HCT116. Comparative total polyphenol and flavonoid content measurement of fresh and air-dried leaf extract revealed that the fresh leaf extracts contain higher total polyphenol and flavonoid content. The HCT 116 cell viability was assessed by colorimetric assay using a 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, showed a steady growth inhibition after 24 h of incubation. Scanning electron microscopy of leaf surface revealed a high density of glandular and non-glandular trichomes. This research provides a basis for the conservation of this rare plant and future phytochemical screening and clinical research.     

Free radical-scavenging activities of Homalium species – An endangered medicinal plant of Eastern Ghats of India

Three species of the genus Homalium – e.g. Homalium nepalense, Homalium tomentosum and Homalium zeylanicum (Flacourtiaceae) – are recorded in India which are confined to the Eastern Ghat hill ranges. While H. zeylanicum is the IUCN red-listed medium-sized tree, the other two are endangered species of medicinal significance. The antioxidant potential of leaf and bark of the plants was evaluated through successive extraction methods by using hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. The extracts were subjected to in vitro assays as DPPH, hydroxyl, nitric oxide and superoxide along with its biochemical estimation. Amongst all, the ethyl acetate extracts of bark is found to be most potent compared with that of the leaves. H. nepalense has the highest amount of total phenolic and flavonoid contents followed by H. tomentosum and H. zeylanicum, respectively, and significant antioxidant behaviour.     

Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of essential oils from Cedrus species

Natural products frequently exert pharmacological activities. The present review gives an overview of the ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the Cedrus genus, e.g. cytotoxic, spasmolytic immunomodulatory, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Cancer patients frequently seek remedies from traditional medicinal plants that are believed to exert less side effects than conventional therapy with synthetic drugs. A long-lasting goal of anti-cancer and anti-microbial therapy research is to find compounds with reduced side effects compared to currently approved drugs. In this respect, Cedrus species might be of interest. The essential oil isolated from Cedrus libani leaves may bear potential for drug development due to its high concentrations of germacrene D and β-caryophyllene. The essential oils from Cedrus species also show bioactivity against bacteria and viruses. More preclinical analyses (e.g. in vivo experiments) as well as clinical trials are required to evaluate the potential of essential oils from Cedrus species for drug development.